Dove's POV

"Are you sure?" I asked Gabriella as we walked toward her place. "We don't want to bother you."

"My place is always open for soulmates," she replied. Looks like she's very fond of soulmates and soulmate bonds.

Vinter nudged me which made me look at him. I raised my eyebrows at him.

"What?" I asked.

"Aren't you going to try to convince her into breaking our soulmate bond?" He asked. I shook my head.

"Not yet. I want her trust first, there should not be any room for errors left," I replied. Luckily since Gabriella has trouble hearing whatever Vinter was whispering I highly doubt she'll be able to hear us.

"Well, if you insist we don't mind staying at your place for tonight," I said. She didn't reply anything but gestured for us to walk with her.

On the way, Gabriella barely spoke anything, which shows that she is not exactly a people person as even at Elijah's place she was silent all along. It is hard to crack an introvert's shell but if I can crack Asmodeus' thick shell this one looks like nothing. In no time I'll be able to find her weakness and I can use it to my benefit.

When we reached her place she welcomed us inside. It was a pretty big house for one person, maybe her family lives with her.

"Your house is pretty," I complimented.

"Thank you," she said. "Since you are soulmate, you won't mind sharing a room I believe."

"Not at all," I replied quickly. I know for a fact that Vinter was going to ask her to let him stay in a different room but right now I need to win this woman's heart. It doesn't look like she has a family, so the only option I'm left with is to try to persuade her into helping me break the soulmate bond.

"Good," she said. Vinter gave me a confused expression, but I ignored him.

"You can sleep in my daughter and son-in-law's room tonight. My grandson's room doesn't have a bed for two people," Gabriella spoke as we followed her silently.

"If you don't mind, may I ask where your family is?" I questioned.

"That is not any of your business," she said. Well, rude but I don't blame her. Even I won't want some stranger asking me questions about my family. I was just testing my luck, I thought if she would tell me about the rest of her family's whereabouts I'll be able to use it for my benefit in the future.

Maybe I'm running out of luck...

"Sorry, didn't mean to pry," I apologized.

"This will be your room. Settle down and go to sleep. Tomorrow you can go wherever you want to go," she said.

"Good night," Vinter said. She didn't respond and left us standing there. I sighed as I opened the door of the room.

"Aren't you uncomfortable sharing a room with me?" Vinter asked.

"I don't sleep, Harris. You can take the bed I'll be on the couch writing something. It won't be uncomfortable being in the same room as you if I don't have to share a bed with you," I replied.

"Who told you that I can sleep at night?" He asked. "I'm going to go change my clothes into something more comfortable."

He didn't wait for my reply as he got a pair of clothes from his bag and went to the bathroom to change. I know he can't sleep, but he should take rest cause who knows what tomorrow holds for us.

I looked around the room and saw a few photos hanging on the wall. There was a couple in that photo which I'm assuming is Gabriella's daughter and son-in-law. There was also a photo of a young boy, probably around 9-10 years old. He looked oddly familiar.

"Hm? Who could this be?" I asked myself.

"Mr. Mammon..." I heard Vinter's voice. I felt his hot breath near my neck making me jump in surprise. I looked at him with wide eyes as he just gave me a cheeky grin. He did that on purpose.

"I didn't hear you come out of the bathroom," I spoke.

"You were too busy looking at those photos," he replied as he picked up the frame of the young boy.

"There is no doubt. This is Mr. Mammon," he said again. I won't doubt Vinter's eyes or memories, he has good memory when it comes to remembering faces.

"Mammon?" I asked. He nodded.

I took the frame from his hands as I looked at the photo closely. Those honey-colored eyes, this is Mammon.

"Mammon is Gabriella's grandchild?" I asked.

"Looks like it," Vinter replied as he sat on the couch.

If this is Mammon then I should use him against Gabriella— I can emotionally manipulate her. Convincing that brat would be hard, but for that, I first need to know the entire story, if I consider Mammon's words there is something very dark about his past. If Gabriella knows about it I should use it against him.

"What are you planning to do?" Vinter asked. I looked at him and smiled. "Whatever you are plotting doesn't seem very pleasing."

"In a such short period, you have mastered reading my expressions, haven't you?" I taunted.

"It's only natural for me to know my soulmate well," he replied. I squinted my eyes at him.

"You are dangerous, Vinter Harris. So dangerous," I shook my head.

"Dangerous or not, I will never do anything that will harm you, I promise," he said. I gave him a long stare, and he didn't even blink as he kept giving me a silent competition. Twilight can't hold stares with me, but this man is so different. He's not as good as Twilight, not even close but there is something in Vinter which separates him from the rest of the male population.

"You love me, don't you?" I sat next to him.

"The only person I ever loved was you. Even when I didn't know you, I was still very much in love with you," he honestly replied. I hummed in response.

"I will use Mammon to convince Gabriella, and Gabriella to lure Mammon over here. But for that I will need to learn the truth about their past, will you help me with convincing Gabriella?" I asked.

"What kind of help do you want?" He asked.

"Make Gabriella talk about her daughter, son-in-law, and grandson."

"What makes you think she'll tell me about it?" He asked. I looked at him and smiled. I scooted closer to him and placed my hands on his cheeks.

"Because you are very charismatic, Vinter. Why do you think-"

I suddenly got pushed backward on the couch with Vinter on top of me. He had a crazy grin on his face, as he pinned my hands above my head. He leaned in, his lips deadly close to my ear, and he whispered.

"Who told you that I was going to help you? Do you think I'm a fool? I have spent enough time with you to know when you are trying to manipulate me. Back at Leviathan's place, you were only able to manipulate me 'cause I wanted you to manipulate me."

I could feel myself getting goosebumps as blood rushed to my cheeks. I turned my face to the other side, blocking him from getting the view of my flustered face. His fingers traced my bare stomach which made me wiggle underneath him.

"Wa-why?" I stuttered as I pressed my hand on my mouth to stop myself from stuttering more. I don't know how to push him away— I can't push him away, the bond between us is too strong.

"Why you ask... simply because it turns me on when you try to take control," he nibbled on my earlobe and licked it before letting out a small chuckle.

"You will always belong to me, even when you will break our soulmate bond, even when you will marry my idiot brother. Because I have something of yours that no one in this world has— a part of your soul," he got up with a smirk as I let out the air which I didn't realize I was holding in.

"You look ecstatic under me looking so helpless, you know that? It makes me want to do things to you," he chuckled. For the first time, I don't have a comeback, I'm at loss for words. Cause my mind is all fuzzy, and I can't think straight.

He walked away with a smug look like he won a battle no one has ever before. He is not wrong, he did win a battle no one has ever before. He had me at loss for words. I immediately got up from the couch as I saw he was standing on the balcony with an unlit cigarette in his mouth. I didn't notice this before but he was wearing his tucked-in shirt and pants. I guess he feels most comfortable in such formal clothes.

What surprised me was the fact that he was well aware of the fact that I was manipulating him all along, he is letting me do it cause it excites him. Vinter is maybe more complex than I thought he is.

Vinter stayed outside on the balcony for the rest of the night. I was just walking around the room mumbling to myself and overthinking everything. What Vinter said, how to convince Gabriella, and how to use Mammon against her. I know that Vinter isn't going to help me break our bond, it was never his plan to do so. He was simply here to change my mind, whatever actions he took a few hours ago were just a teaser. I know for a fact that there is a bigger plan going on inside his mind, I can smell it. Unfortunately, I can't predict it.

Around 5 in the morning, I saw Vinter dozing off on the armchair he was sitting on. He seemed comfortable so I just took a blanket and placed it on him so he won't catch a cold. As I stared at him while he was deep in sleep my mind replayed what happened a few hours ago. I could feel my blood rushing to my cheeks as I let out a heavy sigh.

I left the room and went to the living room of the house. I tried searching for more photos of Mammon just to make sure that kid is Mammon. But there were no photos of adult or teenage Mammon.

I saw that the lights in the kitchen were on so I took a peek inside it. Gabriella was preparing tea, she must have noticed my presence so she turned around to look. I gave her a small smile.

"Good morning," I greeted.

"Didn't expect a youngster like you to be up so early. Were you uncomfortable in the room?" She asked. I shook my head.

"I suffer from insomnia," I replied. She stared at me for a minute but didn't reply. She served the tea in two cups and gestured for me to take one cup.

"This tea will help you relax," she spoke.

We both sat at the dinner table silently as we sipped our tea. Should I just ask her about Mammon?

"The photos in that bedroom are of your daughter, son-in-law, and grandson right?" I asked.

"Yes," she replied.

"Your grandson, how old is he now?" I asked.

"Twenty-four," she replied. Same age as Mammon I see. There cannot be so many coincidences.

I didn't reply to anything further. I don't want to seem like I'm prying too much into her business, she might suspect it.

"Why do you ask?" She asked.

"I just thought he looked familiar," I replied. Her eyes widened as she gulped.

"Have you seen anyone who looks like him recently?" She asked. She sounded desperate. Could it be that Mammon went missing as a kid?

"Yeah, I guess I have-"

"Tell me everything! I want to know it all! Tell me if it was my grandson!" She showered me with desperate questions.

"Doesn't your grandson live with you, or is he not in contact with you?" I asked.

"My grandson... he went missing when he was 11 years old, right after his parents died in a car crash. I tried searching for him everywhere but he was nowhere to be found. I filed a complaint to the police but, my boy— Aries just disappeared, I couldn't find him anywhere," she said. It seems like she will cry any moment now. Aries, so that's what Mammon's real name is.

I placed my hand on hers as she looked at me with tear-filled eyes. I gave her a gentle smile.

"What if I bring your grandson back?" I asked. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Really?! Will you do that?! Can you bring him back?!" She asked. The mouse walked right into my trap.

"Of course, I will! But I will need a bit of your help too after that. You will help me right?" I asked.

She is left with no choice but to agree to help me if she wants to see her grandson again. Looks like God is on my side this time.

♤♤♤

I am so in love with Vinter♡